Microsoft Corp. today announced plans to step up its worldwide anti-piracy efforts through the expansion of existing technological solutions. The company will apply its successful Product Activation anti-piracy technology and edge-to-edge anti-counterfeiting hologram to the next versions of many products in the coming year, including the Microsoft® Office suite of business productivity applications, the Windows® operating system and Visio® drawing and diagramming software.

"Although software piracy is a rampant problem in many parts of the world today, recent increases in technical deterrents, educational efforts and enforcement actions represent important steps to curbing piracy and its incredible negative impact," said Robert Holleyman, president and CEO of the Business Software Alliance (BSA), a software industry watchdog group.